Paula Fox Melanoma and Cancer Center situated at St Kilda Road in Melbourne City, Australia, is an example of the most crucial advancement in designing a healthcare facility.
Officially opening its doors in April 2024, the Centre is a facility in treatment and research concerning melanoma. Designed by Lyons Architecture and built by Kane Construction, this facility meets the highest standards for medical care and introduces innovative concepts in architectural design that contribute to new dimensions in patient care and medical research alike.
Location and Purpose
Situated in the heart of Melbourne, Paula Fox Melanoma and Cancer Centre is inside the world-renowned Alfred Hospital, one of the major health institutions in Australia. This Centre was brought into being for an all-inclusive service with a view to providing treatment related to melanoma by means of combining clinical care with leading-edge research. This would position the Centre in the dual role of being at the forefront of the fight against melanoma and affording the latest on the treatment front and ongoing clinical trials.
It was named after its philanthropist Paula Fox, a patient who also suffered from melanoma and who provided the greatest contribution towards this Centre’s establishment. Moreover, it was not just about a great medical facility; for patients who struggle against melanoma, this would symbolize hope. The way it connects the story of a donor with building design to what this Centre embarks on, making life better through innovative medical treatment, study, and research.
Design Philosophy
The Paula Fox Melanoma and Cancer Centre is one expression of the modern, thoughtful approach to healthcare architecture. Lyons Architecture of Australia’s leading architectural practices, with extensive experience designing health facilities buildings integrating medical functions with environments conducive to healing.
The six-story facility encompasses specialty spaces such as oncology treatment areas, research laboratories, clinical trial spaces, consulting suites, and wellness areas. This is holistic in design to ensure that the Centre is a place not solely of clinical procedures but indeed of rest, comfort, and feelings of well-being.
Architectural Features
One of the most striking features of the design of the Centre is its façade, which has been inspired by skin grafting, a procedure often used to treat melanoma patients. The texture on the façade resembles human skin and, therefore, is a symbolic link to treatments and the purpose of this Centre.
The skin-like quality of the façade visually ties the structure to the very conditions it aims to treat, providing a strong metaphor for the building’s role in healing and care. It is an architectural narrative meaning that goes beyond function to be conveyed through the use of such symbolism.
The façade is made from interwoven panels, creating a dynamic, organic surface that echoes the variability of human skin. The material choices, texture, and design elements of the façade reflect both the medical significance and aesthetic elegance of the building. It also contains sustainable design elements, like shading devices, to reduce heat gain and optimize energy efficiency, hence ensuring that the environmental impact of the building is kept at a minimum.
Within the Centre, the Centre has created an ambiance of healing and not one that promotes anxiety and stress, often associated with a hospital. To this end, its structure includes open spaces, enough natural light, and peacefulness.
The patient care areas have been designed with flexibility in mind, able to house a large variety of treatments and services. Comfortable and private patient rooms, consulting areas, and lounges, while the research laboratories and clinical trial spaces contain the latest in technology to support history-making medical work.
Integration of Research and Clinical Care
One of the innovative things about the Paula Fox Melanoma and Cancer Centre is the bringing together of research and clinical care under one roof. This approach guarantees that the latest treatment developments for melanoma go straight to the patient, and it creates a particularly close interaction between researchers and clinicians. By housing both research laboratories and patient care facilities under the same roof, the Centre encourages collaboration and hastens the translation of scientific discovery into practical, real-world treatments.
This integrated model is particularly crucial for melanoma care, as the rapidly evolving nature of cancer research often leads to new treatments and therapies that can significantly improve patient outcomes. The Centre has been designed to support such constant innovation, with its flexible spaces able to adjust to changing technologies and treatment methodologies.
The Centre’s philosophy in the creation of a calming and restorative environment reflects the broader shift in thinking on healthcare design. Medical facilities are increasingly being built on the knowledge that results from treatments can be seriously modified by the physical and emotional settings where the actual care occurs. This holistic approach forms a vital part of The Paula Fox Melanoma and Cancer Centre’s design proof that architecture can serve to facilitate healing.
Images:
- 01_Fox Melanoma and Cancer Centre_©Lyons Architecture
- 02_Fox Melanoma and Cancer Centre_©Lyons Architecture
- 03_The Façade_©Lyons Architecture
- 04_Inside The Centre_©Lyons Architecture
- 05_A Render Image_©Lyons Architecture
